Longtime business returning to Alberta

Published: Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 11:21 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | A longtime Tuscaloosa business is planning to re-establish its Alberta base by converting a former church to office space.

The headquarters of Jack Marshall Foods Inc., which manages and operates 23 KFC restaurants in four Southern states, was located near the intersection of 25th Avenue and University Boulevard until the tornado on April 27, 2011.

That storm destroyed the company's offices and its flagship restaurant. Actor Charlie Sheen walked through the latter on his tour of the storm-torn city in May 2011.

Randal Crowell, director of human resources for Jack Marshall Foods, said the company had intended to return to its previous location, but instead sold the tract to City Hall to accommodate the realignment of 25th and 26th avenues and the proposed public safety complex to the east.

Crowell said the company had been eyeing a location on Skyland Boulevard until the former Eastern Hills Baptist Church site at 113 25th Ave. E. became available.

“This would be a perfect place to re-establish our business,” Crowell told the Tuscaloosa City Council Tuesday night.

However, the company's return to Alberta hinged on a City Council vote that pitted the city's elected leaders against the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.

In January, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to not recommend the former church site be rezoned from a residential district to one that would allow for office space.

Steven Rumsey, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said the commission voted 5-1 against recommending the rezoning because doing so would constitute spot zoning, thereby placing one zone — BGO, or general

business-office — in an area surrounded by residential zones.

“It's rare for us to recommend a spot zoning,” Rumsey said. “We didn't necessarily feel like Jack Marshall Foods would be a bad neighbor. What we were concerned about was putting a different zoning classification enveloped by residential that, in the future, could be something negative for the neighbors.”

The council, at the urging of Councilman Bob Lundell and the absent Councilman Kip Tyner, for whom Lundell also spoke, voted unanimously against the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation and cleared the way for Jack Marshall Foods to begin renovating the former church.

Lundell reminded the council that the company had posed no opposition to the city's request to obtain its land.

Additionally, the City Council had voted to in December to award Jack Marshall Foods a no-interest loan of $200,000 to assist in its rebuilding efforts at the former church site.

City officials said the loan may have been rescinded had the rezoning not been approved and also clarified that earlier statements they made that Jack Marshall Foods would be operating a distribution center were incorrect.

Crowell also corrected the mistake in his comments to the City Council, noting that most of the residents who spoke out against the rezoning during the Jan. 23 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission were most concerned about the distribution aspect.

Jack Marshall Foods plans to have offices at the location, and they will be closed before

5 p.m. and not operate on weekends.

“We really want to fit in to the community and we really want to fit into this area,” Crowell said.

With the rezoning, Jack Marshall Foods can begin its work to overhaul the existing site in earnest.

Crowell said the company, which has operated in Tuscaloosa for around five decades, plans to keep the existing structure, but intends to replace the roof and completely overhaul the interior.

Barring any unforeseen delays, the company plans to be in its new offices within the next four months.

“We want the people to know that Jack Marshall Foods has been in the Alberta area for 50 years, and we've got a continued interest in the area and we want it to grow and thrive and we want to be a part of it,” Crowell said.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | A longtime Tuscaloosa business is planning to re-establish its Alberta base by converting a former church to office space.</p><p>The headquarters of Jack Marshall Foods Inc., which manages and operates 23 KFC restaurants in four Southern states, was located near the intersection of 25th Avenue and University Boulevard until the tornado on April 27, 2011.</p><p>That storm destroyed the company's offices and its flagship restaurant. Actor Charlie Sheen walked through the latter on his tour of the storm-torn city in May 2011.</p><p>Randal Crowell, director of human resources for Jack Marshall Foods, said the company had intended to return to its previous location, but instead sold the tract to City Hall to accommodate the realignment of 25th and 26th avenues and the proposed public safety complex to the east.</p><p>Crowell said the company had been eyeing a location on Skyland Boulevard until the former Eastern Hills Baptist Church site at 113 25th Ave. E. became available.</p><p>“This would be a perfect place to re-establish our business,” Crowell told the Tuscaloosa City Council Tuesday night.</p><p>However, the company's return to Alberta hinged on a City Council vote that pitted the city's elected leaders against the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.</p><p>In January, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to not recommend the former church site be rezoned from a residential district to one that would allow for office space.</p><p>Steven Rumsey, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said the commission voted 5-1 against recommending the rezoning because doing so would constitute spot zoning, thereby placing one zone — BGO, or general </p><p>business-office — in an area surrounded by residential zones.</p><p>“It's rare for us to recommend a spot zoning,” Rumsey said. “We didn't necessarily feel like Jack Marshall Foods would be a bad neighbor. What we were concerned about was putting a different zoning classification enveloped by residential that, in the future, could be something negative for the neighbors.”</p><p>The council, at the urging of Councilman Bob Lundell and the absent Councilman Kip Tyner, for whom Lundell also spoke, voted unanimously against the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation and cleared the way for Jack Marshall Foods to begin renovating the former church.</p><p>Lundell reminded the council that the company had posed no opposition to the city's request to obtain its land.</p><p>Additionally, the City Council had voted to in December to award Jack Marshall Foods a no-interest loan of $200,000 to assist in its rebuilding efforts at the former church site.</p><p>City officials said the loan may have been rescinded had the rezoning not been approved and also clarified that earlier statements they made that Jack Marshall Foods would be operating a distribution center were incorrect.</p><p>Crowell also corrected the mistake in his comments to the City Council, noting that most of the residents who spoke out against the rezoning during the Jan. 23 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission were most concerned about the distribution aspect.</p><p>Jack Marshall Foods plans to have offices at the location, and they will be closed before </p><p>5 p.m. and not operate on weekends.</p><p>“We really want to fit in to the community and we really want to fit into this area,” Crowell said.</p><p>With the rezoning, Jack Marshall Foods can begin its work to overhaul the existing site in earnest.</p><p>Crowell said the company, which has operated in Tuscaloosa for around five decades, plans to keep the existing structure, but intends to replace the roof and completely overhaul the interior.</p><p>Barring any unforeseen delays, the company plans to be in its new offices within the next four months.</p><p>“We want the people to know that Jack Marshall Foods has been in the Alberta area for 50 years, and we've got a continued interest in the area and we want it to grow and thrive and we want to be a part of it,” Crowell said.</p><p>Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.</p>